Apple Protection

I usually don't take photos of people.

"People aren't scenery," Big Sister told me when I started this blog. Papa, teachers and parents were worried about privacy and safety. And he reminded me, "You are easily found."

But I had to document this. Sorry the photo is blurry. It was taken in a hurry with the iphone. You can't really see what this grocery store clerk is doing. I was trying to protect her identity.

She's putting those little pink plastic skirts on the apples. I thought the apples were shipped that way to protect them. So, no, after making their way to the store the apples are protected from people bruising them while picking over them and taking them home!

But, wait, note the comment section below. A reader suggested that the skirts are for hygiene purposes. I'd never thought of that! Probably because I take the skirts off to look at the bottom of the fruit to check to see how green it is at the base. I've never noticed anyone else do that. Even though there was a time when they stopped using the skirts and there were some bad apples in the bunch (bin). So, they're either protecting the apples from bruises or germs.


A bag of pink plastic skirts.

I've noticed apples and grapefruit wear pink plastic skirts. Green apples, pears and nashi wear green plastic skirts. Click on the labels below for more posts.

Check out the comment section, too.

Holly Thompson wins APALA Award for Her YA Novel!!!

The Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) awarded their Young Adult Literature Award to Holly Thompson's novel Orchards. Holly is our SCBWI Tokyo chapter advisor and editor of our newsletter Carp Tales. Congratulations!

Click here to see other APALA award winning books.

Snow!

Mt. Fuji has been snow-capped since November.

Today, Tokyo was capped in snow.

The snow highlighted the mountains to the west. I could actually see them this morning.

Look closely through the wires and beyond.

Funny, no birds were sitting on the wires this morning.

Snow Curls

Later in the day, the snow on our roof began to curl...

because of the snow guards.

Click on the photos to enlarge them. Click on the label "roof" below to see a post about our neighbor's roof guards.

Dragon in the West

Papa says it may have been some debris from the Russian satellite returning to earth. It could have been an earthquake cloud. I think it's a lone dragon cloud like the ones I saw in November. I noticed it as I was walking to the store. I took this photo at 4:53 today with my iphone.

Back to School After the Holidays

Little Brother went back to school today after the winter break. His high school is far from our house so he has to get up early. When he left the house at 6:00, the moon was still high in the sky in the west. I took this photo later when the sun was rising.

Seven Herbs of Spring

Another year, another post. Check here for more information.

First Visit of the Year

We go to Fugakusan-Shoraku-in Jindaiji (we call it Jindaiji) on the third day of every new year. I hang out there and in the botanical gardens throughout the year. It is only a 15 minute bus ride away. It is just one of many places in the area where we can be surrounded by nature.